Q03

Think about a major milestone that happened with your family this past year. How has this affected you?

Nephew got married! First of the next generation. Great to see.

My son became a Bar Mitzvah. It was an amazing experience and I was so proud of him and how he has taken to his Jewish heritage. It made me realize how lucky I am to have such the support from my wife as well as an affirmation of the fact that we must be doing something right as parents.

Bought a house. Makes me feel like a grown up, in an exciting independent way, but also in a huge responsibility/don't know what I'm doing way.

My wife finally had a major surgery she's been waiting years to have. Hopefully it allows us all to have a more active, unhindered life.

My Dad decided that he will retire after this year. This means he'll spend more time in Pennslyvania and I'll see him less. I need to start purposefully building in time to see him. It has decreased quite a bit in recent months.

My only and little brother got engaged (thanks Facebook for the notification) and now they are expecting their first baby!

My grandma died unexpectedly and it has been complicated. I think I appreciate my parents more and I suddenly realized how fleeting life really is.

It's a milestone that we decided to postpone -- my younger son is taking an extra year of nursery school, and it is the best decision we could have made for him. We transferred him to a Jewish nursery school and he is thriving. His sweetness is really coming through, and he is developing an interest in Judaism that before now had been completely absent.

This year my father has finally come to a different understanding of the facts that I am Jewish and queer. 

I was engaged this year. It's reminded how lucky I am, how hard relationships are, how worth it they are for the good moments, and how much better this journey is with someone else to share it with. 

My little brother started high school! I feel super old but I'm so proud of him and everything that he has - and will continue to - accomplish.